Fast food restaurants are great, aren't they? You only need to drive through, throw some money at the people in the window and they happily throw grease, salt, and sugar back at you. We all know fast food joints are necessary evils. Everybody is short on time and they can fill you up without breaking the bank.

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While fast food restaurants try to deceive us by offering salads, soups, and meals with clever marketing names that make them seem healthy, these efforts usually fall short when compared to actual healthy meals.

While offering lighter fare is a good start, this list is going to tell you all about the items you should never order. Commit them to memory, because they are the newest fast food offenders and you wouldn't want to be caught aiding and abetting them in a spree to rob your body of a healthful meal, would you?

First, let's remind ourselves of the daily allotments of calories, fat and sodium for the average American female. These dietary guidelines are based on those put forth by the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in 2005, which are considered the proper reference until the 2010 guidelines are released. The 6^th and final meeting of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee takes place on May 12, after which the 2010 guidelines will be released.
According to the chart, females aged 19 to 50 years old that are moderately active need between 2000-2400 calories a day. If that is your caloric consumption then you can have 73 grams of fat per day. Nobody is supposed to consume more than 2300 mg of sodium per day.

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There are a lot of calorie and fat gram calculators out there. The only accurate way to determine your caloric needs is by creating an individual plan with a dietician.

(All information compiled from David Zinczenko's list, The Worst Drive-Thru Foods in America from his Eat This Not That column featured in Men's Health online and checked against each restaurant's own online nutritional counters.)

Salty Side Item

Arby's Large Mozzarella Sticks

• 650 calories
• 35 g fat
• 2220 mg sodium

Learn to stay away from fried cheeses, no matter how great they may taste. Cheese is a decadent ingredient and should be treated as such. Although it is often touted as a good protein source for vegetarians, the amount of protein contained in most cheese is negligible, especially when compared with nuts and seeds, or sprouted protein bread.

Cheese contains more fat than anything else. The same goes for hot fudge. Would you welcome a chef to pour hot fudge over each meal you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Look at cheese the way the French do. It is never the primary ingredient in an entrée or even side dish. In fact it is often served for dessert.
High Sodium Chicken Strip Basket

Dairy Queen 6-piece Chicken Strip Basket with Country Gravy and Fries

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• 1,520 calories
• 72 g fat
• 3,440 mg sodium

Chicken is usually the healthy choice, right? Not if it is mummified in breading and deep-fried into oblivion. This chicken strip meal has more grams of fat than 4 Dairy Queen Homestyle Burgers and almost 500 more calories than a Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard. Who would have thought that chicken could have more calories than something called a CheeseQuake? Again, repeat after me: No fried food.

Arby's Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich

• 710 calories
• 28 grams of fat
• 1,790 mg sodium

Don't be fooled by the word "fresh" in the name. This sandwich's 2 slices of honey wheat bread alone deliver more than 350 calories.

The Arby's Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich is processed and high in sodium. Plus, there is a generous smear of mayo between the bread, and definitely not enough veggies to give you even one serving of something healthy.
Least Healthful Fast Food Salad

Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips Salad with 1.06 oz. Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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• 630 calories
• 40 grams of fat
• 1,620 mg sodium

The primary problem is the buttermilk ranch dressing, which contributes a bulk of the fat to the overall content (particularly if you use more than the 1.06 ounces, which many people do). Ranch was great when you were a kid, usually used as a cloaking device to get vegetables into your mouth. But now that you're a grown-up, why don't you pass on the ranch and opt for a light vinaigrette that lets the flavors of your veggies shine!

Burger King Kids Double Cheeseburger and Kids Fries with Small Coke

• 790 calories
• 38 grams of fat
• 1,330 mg sodium

This meal contains almost an entire day's worth of saturated fat for an 8-year-old child. You're better off choosing a plain hamburger with lettuce and tomato and skipping the bun altogether and choosing a side of BK Fresh Apple Fries instead.
Fattening Mexican Fast Food

Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito

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• 700 calories
• 30 grams of fat
• 2,100 mg sodium

It seems as though every item on Taco Bell's menu is dripping with cheese, sauce, or cheesy sauce. For a few years now, although they only started incorporating it onto their drive-thru menus as of late, Taco Bell has allowed you to order items "fresco."This translates to more salsa and veggies and less cheese foodstuffs. Prevent your gut from running to the border (and over) your belt. Say "fresco" at your next Taco Bell visit.

Heaviest Dessert

Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard

• 930 calories
• 37 grams of fat
• 97 grams of sugar

So, what does go in a drinkable CheeseQuake? Mainly ice cream, strawberry syrup and hunks of cheesecake. Liquefied cheesecake ensures that your body won't know it has consumed twice its suggested amount of daily calories until it is too late.

Dessert is meant to be decadent. Not a dairy coma. By avoiding these fast food offenders you aren't denying yourself anything except poor health later in life. Search out tasty and healthier options the next time you need a meal on the go. You and your family are worth the extra time and expense.